THE SHEEP farmer revealed as the part-owner of a notorious Rochdale beauty spot today expressed his sympathy for victims of "Dead Man's Drop".Speaking from his farm in New Zealand, Rochdale's Lord of the Manor Jeremy James Dearden said he had great sympathy for the people who have been killed and injured in the Ashworth Valley.He said: "It is open land which makes it very difficult to fence off and in many respects it is a natural hazard."I can understand that people would have concerns if accidents are happening but it is difficult to comment when it is impossible to know exactly where these accidents took place."Mr Dearden, who is in his 30s, has never lived in Rochdale and has visited a handful of times. He pledged to consider any recommendations from health and safety officials about making the treacherous valley safer.He said: "We are not fat cats sitting back here who do not care about this land, there are often issues I have to deal with. It does concern me if there are accidents there and we would consider any recommendations on their merits."The Lord of the Manor title has passed through the family, who were originally from Rochdale, since it was bought from the trustees of the poet Lord Byron after he died in 1824. The Health and Safety Executive will now work with Rochdale Council and local land owners to make the area safe.The Manchester Evening News revealed this week that 12 people have been rescued after plunging in the valley since the death of scout Scott Fanning. His father, Alan, who became an ardent campaigner for safety improvements in the area, also became a victim of the ravine earlier this year when he died in his fume filled car.The grief-stricken father-of-three could not cope with losing his eldest son and died in a desperate cry for help in April. His wife Sharon has now taken up the campaign after six-year-old Clarece Maher and her father John also plunged 60ft down a sheer drop in the valley on a family day out last weekend.
